Dr. Rock: Wanyama brings funky fusion to Erie's Kings Rook

The Cleveland quintet will hit the stage Saturday with new material that's lyrically conscious as well as genre-bending.

By Dave Richards / Contributing writer

Four years is a long time between album releases, but the drought for Cleveland fusion quintet Wanyama will end in March with “Plus One.”

That’s not "fusion" as in jazz plus rock. Wanyama fuses furious funk, spitfire hip-hop, the conscious vibes of reggae and jam-band epiphanies into a powerhouse, uplifting whole. And Charlie Wilson, who sings and plays saxophone, said the new album takes them to an even higher level.

“I would say we’ve definitely evolved,” said Wilson, who brings Wanyama to Kings Rook Club on Saturday for just the second time. “Musically, it’s definitely a lot more technical. I feel like it’s one of those things where we found our sound in a way. There’s similar elements, but it’s much, much more honed in.

“On the first one (‘Cleveland Zoo’), we all felt it went sometimes too much one way, and then too much another way. It would be just this part is really reggae and another part is funk and another part is hip-hop. This is more of a combination of everything together.”

“That’s definitely one (new) song that people are really liking,” Wilson said. The band has played all nine songs from “Plus One” at its live shows; the new material is show- and road-tested.

Lyrically, Wanyama strives for songs that uplift yet make you think, as well.

“Overall, what we try to convey is the idea of mindfulness and being conscious of what’s going on,” Wilson said. “Not only conscious politically or (conscious) of what’s going on in the country, but conscious of how you interact with people socially. Conscious of what’s going on around you and how people are dealing with things. Not just have tunnel vision on the world. Focus on everything and pay attention.”

Wilson said he, Sawchik and Lowry attended North Olmstead High School outside of Cleveland. The band also includes Niko Yup (drums) and Coda Crose (bass).

“We’ve all been good friends, and we’ve all been hanging out together way before the band started,” Wilson said. “Finally, one day, we said, 'Let’s write some songs.' And here we are.”

One of those early songs — “Funk Sandwich” — remains a show staple with its inescapable groove and exultant lyrics: “I like my songs like I like my sandwiches — with lots of jam! With lots of jam!”

Wanyama — the band name means “animals” in Swahili — emerged around the same time frame as several like-minded Cleveland bands — Tropidelic, Broccoli Samurai, Vibe & Direct. All of them have outgrown their Cleveland roots, playing out regionally.

“We’re tight with (them),” Wilson said. “We kind of all started around the same time, and so we all did a lot of shows together, coming up in the scene. Now all these bands, we’re all getting better and kind of doing our own things. But, yeah, it all started off with us doing (shows) together. We just did a show with Broccoli Samurai at the Beachland.”

The Beachland, where Wilson works as a bartender and soundman, will host Wanyama’s second annual Jungle Boogie party on March 24. The show, which includes art, vendors and several bands, will also serve as the release party for “Plus One.”

No matter what happens in the nation between now and March, Wilson said that party will rock.

“There’s always a good time to be had," he said. "Even in bad times."

HEAR IT

Wanyama plays Saturday, 10 p.m., at the Kings Rook Club, 1921 Peach St. For details about club membership, visit http://bit.ly/2m7uhy9. For more on the band, visit www.wanyamaband.com.

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